CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- UniStrip Technologies, LLC of Charlotte NC has filed an antitrust lawsuit in the Los Angeles federal court against LifeScan, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company, for violations of the Sherman and Clayton Acts.
In November, 2013 the FDA cleared UniStrip to market test strips that are compatible with four of LifeScan’s OneTouch Ultra blood glucose meters. The key to UniStrip’s success would be its highly accurate strips, as cleared by the FDA, at a game-changing price. With LifeScan Ultra Blue Test Strips at a wholesale acquisition cost of about $60 for 50 strips, UniStrip’s price to distributors is about one tenth that of LifeScan. UniStrip offers to people with diabetes a test strip for certain LifeScan meters that is reasonably related to the price of the product.
However, as UniStrip alleges in its complaint, LifeScan has taken anti-competitive measures by withholding rebates, cooperative marketing funds, and other incentives from wholesalers and retailers who offer UniStrip1 for sale. LifeScan’s attempts to preclude UniStrip’s entry into the market were coordinated within the company, executed by sales representatives, and added to contracts that expressly conditioned the payment of rebates for LifeScan products on the distributor’s refusal to purchase and sell UniStrip products. For more information, please contact info@unistrip-tech.com.
“UniStrip has teamed with a preeminent antitrust law firm, Blecher Collins Pepperman & Joye to represent us,” Richard Admani, CEO and President of UniStrip said. “We have been advised by our lawyers, who are experts in antitrust law, that LifeScan’s conduct is a flagrant violation of the antitrust laws. Unfortunately, filing the lawsuit is the only way to stop LifeScan’s exclusionary behavior.” Admani said that, “Many people with diabetes need a low cost alternative for test strips. We want to be able to distribute our product without LifeScan threatening or choking off retailers who want to sell our product. The lawsuit is about consumer choice and free markets.”
About UniStrip Technologies
Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, UniStrip Technologies, LLC is a high-tech glucose test strip company that imports and distributes products under the UniStrip brand. The company is led by Rick Admani and an executive management team with more than 20 years of healthcare experience. UniStrip’s sole focus is to sell test strips that the FDA clears as safe alternatives to use with existing brand name meters so that people with diabetes will have a low cost alternative to the name brand test strips.
For more information, please visit www.unistrip-tech.com.
UniStrip1 test strips are a product of UniStrip Technologies, LLC and are not manufactured, distributed, endorsed, approved by, nor associated with LifeScan®, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company, manufacturers and distributors of the OneTouch® Ultra® Family of Meters and test strips.
SOURCE UniStrip Technologies, LLC
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